Chapter 12 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter XII
Chapter 12 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment. It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all. But Tom could not restrain himself. "The lost city of Pelone!" he exclaimed. "Is it here--in these mountains?" asked Mr. Titus.
Chapter 12 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading “The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.”
a glass filled to the brim (especially as a toast)
From this reading “The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.”
make right or correct
From this reading “It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.”
the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)
From this reading “The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.”
to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
From this reading “But Tom could not restrain himself.”
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading “The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.”
a Greek disciple and helper of Saint Paul
From this reading “"Is it here--in these mountains?" asked Mr. Titus.”
move through by or as by digging
From this reading “The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.”
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "Is it here--in these mountains?" asked Mr. Titus.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
a glass filled to the brim (especially as a toast)
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But Tom could not restrain himself.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading "The lost city of Pelone!" he exclaimed.
make right or correct
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But Tom could not restrain himself.
the friend of Phintias who pledged his life that Phintias would return (4th century BC)
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
past form of “exclaim” — utter aloud; often with surprise, horror, or joy
From this reading "The lost city of Pelone!" he exclaimed.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "Is it here--in these mountains?" asked Mr. Titus.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading But Tom could not restrain himself.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Is it here--in these mountains?" asked Mr. Titus.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Is it here--in these mountains?" asked Mr. Titus.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading "The lost city of Pelone!" he exclaimed.
engage in
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading "Is it here--in these mountains?" asked Mr. Titus.
a form of address for a man
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
not one, and not any
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But Tom could not restrain himself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "The lost city of Pelone!" he exclaimed.
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
to close within bounds, or otherwise limit or deprive of free movement
From this reading But Tom could not restrain himself.
express in words
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
a message that is stated or declared; a communication (oral or written) setting forth particulars or facts etc
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading "Is it here--in these mountains?" asked Mr. Titus.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
a Greek disciple and helper of Saint Paul
From this reading "Is it here--in these mountains?" asked Mr. Titus.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
male cat
From this reading But Tom could not restrain himself.
move through by or as by digging
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
which person or people
From this reading The Tunnel Mr. Damon, of the three who heard Professor Bumper make this statement, showed the least sign of astonishment.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would have been more correct to say that he showed none at all.
Chapter 12 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel by Victor Appleton holds 126 sentences, grouped into 26 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.
Chapter 12 holds 126 sentences of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 12 of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel by Victor Appleton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 sentences, grouped into 26 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.
Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 26 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 can be played aloud in United States English.
Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.
Common questions about reading Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel by Victor Appleton on this page, its source edition and its audio.
Yes. All 3230 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #953 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #953, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 269 minutes of reading across 646 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 25 chapters of Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in Tom Swift and His Big Tunnel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
